Novartis' (NVS) LCZ696 drug for patients with ejection fraction heart failure, in which the organ's chambers are stiff but can still pump a reasonable amount of blood, performed well in a mid-stage trial. LCZ696 reduced levels of NT-proBNP, a protein that's linked to the condition. Larger studies are now needed to see whether this "biomarker" can lead to improved results in clinical practice.